News Story

Sony Santa Monica outline reasons for sticking with God of War franchise

Sony Santa Monica decided to stick with the God of War franchise. Next in line is GOW: Ascension's release, something studio director Shannon Studstill believes is a viable commercial and creative challenge for her team. But why did the group decided to carry on the popular franchise?

"There are creative reasons and business reasons," she says. "I think there was still some story to tell."

"There's an opportunity to improve upon God of War 3. I think for the single-player game, there were systems that we wanted to enhance. Not to diss God of War 3, as that was tough to go from PS2 to PS3, but our focus for God of War 3 was very tools and engine-focused. And now what we're trying to do is catch up a bit in terms of systems we wanted to improve upon."

Studstill also suggests the addition of multiplayer creates a "completely different game" for players to enjoy.

When questioned about Orbis, Studstill acted defensively. "I don't know what you're talking about. The PS3 is a very powerful machine, and we definitely feel like we're taxing it, but it continuously surprises us."